MLCCs - Multilayer Ceramic Capacitors
Multilayer ceramic capacitors, also called MLCCs, are uniquely designed capacitors manufactured to embed a multilayer structure. This construction consists of metal conducting layers and a ceramic substance. The capacitor is insulated by ceramic layers, which helps to prevent heat loss and raises the product's efficiency. Multilayer capacitors are used for various applications because of their excellent thermal stability, strong ripple current capacity, and exceptionally low ESR (Equivalent Series Resistance) and ESL (Equivalent Series Inductance).
How do multilayer ceramic capacitors work?
The many ceramic layers and conductive electrodes stacked on top of each other make up the multilayer ceramic capacitor (MLCC). The conducting electrodes are between each layer of ceramic material. The several ceramic layers used in MLCC serve as a dielectric.
Do ceramic capacitors degrade over time?
When employing ceramic capacitors, designers must consider aging, a phenomenon where the capacitance decreases over time. Capacitors from any manufacturer experience aging, which is correlated with the dielectric's material qualities.
Does voltage matter on a ceramic capacitor?
A general rule is designed that the voltage of ceramic capacitors should be derated by at least 25% as a baseline, but in contexts where voltage ripple effects will be present, this should be increased to at least 50%.
Typical Applications
Aluminum polymer capacitors provide several benefits for electronic applications due to their structure. This technology is very intriguing for many applications that permit a significant ripple current because of its low ESR, low ESL values, and high anticipated lifetime. Polymer capacitors are used in a wide range of applications, including:
- Power supplies
- Computer motherboards
- Domestic appliances
- Coupling or blocks
- Smoothing
- Decoupling or bypassing
- Noise filtering
